Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wednesday asked Japan and other key countries to pressurise Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism.

During wide-ranging discussions with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, he ruled out any immediate prospects of improving Indo-Pak relations.

Vajpayee said that India has made efforts to improve bilateral relations with Pakistan, but many 'regrettable incidents' have occurred.

The Japanese minister, on the other hand, voiced serious concern over clandestine transfer of nuclear and missile technology between Pakistan and North Korea and sought India's cooperation in pressing Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons development programme.

Kawaguchi said Japan, the United States and South Korea were closely cooperating on the North Korean nuclear issue, but stressed that the solidarity of the international community was necessary to resolve the issue peacefully, officials said.

She also made it clear that if reports on the Pakistan-North Korea nuclear axis were correct, it would have a 'serious impact' on Japan's bilateral relations with Islamabad.

The prime minister appreciated Japan's decision to provide Rs 4,400 crore in low interest loans to India.

The loans mark the first official credit to India from Japan since Tokyo lifted a four-year old freeze on foreign assistance imposed in the wake of the May 1998 Pokhran nuclear explosions.

The loan package includes nearly Rs 2,000 crore credit line to finance the construction of a thermal power plant and other infrastructure projects.

Japan lifted its embargo on yen loans for new projects in India in October last year while acknowledging India's efforts to fight terrorism in the wake of the September 11 terror strikes in the United States in 2001.

The Japanese minister, who arrived from Colombo on a two-day visit, will head back home later on Wednesday.